Top Science News and Current Events from September 2017

Smartphone apps reduce depressionNew Australian-led research has confirmed that smartphone apps are an effective treatment option for depression, paving the way for safe and accessible interventions for the millions of people around the world diagnosed with this condition. (2017-09-22)

Poor sleep hastens progression of kidney diseasePeople with chronic kidney disease may be especially vulnerable to the deleterious effects of poor sleep, according to a new paper published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. (2017-09-14)

A 'virtual heart' to simulate arrhythmiaA group of researchers from MIPT and Ghent University have proposed a mathematical model which is able to determine the factors responsible for the formation of different fibrosis patterns, which are believed to cause arrhythmia. (2017-09-06)

Immune cells halt fungal infection by triggering spore suicideTo protect the body from infection, immune cells in the lungs can exploit cell death programs in inhaled fungal pathogens, scientists have revealed, helping explain why most people aren't harmed by breathing in mold spores, and potentially offering new therapeutic strategies for people who do get infected. (2017-09-07)

Your stools reveal whether you can lose weightSomething as simple as a feces sample reveals whether you can lose weight by following dietary recommendations characterized by a high content of fruit, vegetables, fibers and whole grains. (2017-09-12)

Test may miss diabetes in some African-AmericansMore than 200 scientists teamed up to report that they have identified 60 genetic variants that influence HbA1c measurements, as well as the ability of this test to diagnose diabetes. (2017-09-12)

Celebrity fossil reveals all for scienceWith the help of an artist, a geology professor at Lund University in Sweden has figuratively speaking breathed life into one of science's most well-known fossil species; Agnostus pisiformis. (2017-09-15)

Talking to older adults about health prognosis may be helpfulIn a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, researchers examined how older adults with disabilities later in life might react to learning their prognosis, and how they evaluated their own prognosis compared to 'official' estimates. (2017-09-15)

A sweeter way to make green productsUniversity of Delaware researchers have invented a more efficient process for extracting the sugars from wood chips, corn cobs and other organic waste from forests and farms. (2017-09-08)

Cigarette price differences and infant mortality in the European UnionHigher cigarette prices were associated with reduced infant mortality in the European Union, while increased price differences between premium and budget cigarettes were associated with higher infant mortality, according to a new article published by JAMA Pediatrics. (2017-09-18)

Welfare of zoo animals set to improveThe wellbeing of zoological animals is set to improve following the successful trial of a new welfare assessment grid, a new study in the journal Veterinary Record reports. (2017-09-18)

What mediates the beneficial effects of exercise on breast cancer outcomes?The ability of serum obtained from women with breast cancer immediately after finishing two hours of moderate to intense exercise to prevent the growth and survival of breast cancer cells lines in vitro and in mice was attributable, at least in part, to epinephrine activation of the Hippo signaling pathway. (2017-09-08)

UTA study finds public-private partnerships key to making telemedicine sustainableRadhaKanta Mahapatra, a professor in the Department of Information Systems and Operations Management in the UTA College of Business, conducted the study, A Collaborative Approach to Creating ICT-based Sustainable Development, which was published as part of the Americas Conference on Information Systems' proceedings earlier this year. (2017-09-22)

Predicting atypical development in infants at high risk for autism?New research from the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) identifies a potential biomarker that predicts atypical development in 1- to 2-month-old infants at high versus low familial risk for developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). (2017-09-12)

South Asians with family history of heart disease at greater riskNew research by UT Southwestern cardiologists shows that people of South Asian descent with a family history of coronary heart disease are significantly more likely to have high levels of calcium buildup in their arteries - an indicator of higher risk for heart attacks. (2017-09-08)

Study advances efforts to screen all children for Type 1 diabetesResearchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University and the University of Florida report the development of a novel antibody detection technology that holds promise for improving the accuracy of diagnostic tests for type 1 diabetes in young children and making populationwide screening practical. (2017-09-13)

Best Science Podcasts 2018

Inspire To ActionWhat motivates us to take up a cause, follow a leader, or create change? This hour, TED speakers explore stories of inspirational leadership, and what makes some movements more successful than others. Guests include high school history teacher Diane Wolk-Rogers, writer and behavioral researcher Simon Sinek, 2016 Icelandic presidential candidate Halla TÃ³masdÃ³ttir, professor of leadership Jochen Menges, and writer and activist Naomi Klein.

#474 Appearance MattersThis week we talk about appearance, bodies, and body image. Why does what we look like affect our headspace so much? And how do we even begin to research a topic as personal and subjective as body image? To try and find out, we speak with some of the researchers at the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) at the University of the West of England in Bristol. Psychology Professor Phillippa Diedrichs walks us through body image research, what we know so far, and how we know what we know. Professor of Appearance and Health Psychology Diana Harcourt talks about visible...